5 more cities, including Holyoke, will have National Guard troops drive school buses

National Guard members look inside a school passenger van during training in coordination with the state Department of Transportation. Training began Tuesday after Gov. Charlie Baker activated up to 250 guard personnel to help with school transportation. (Dave Wilkinson / Massachusetts National Guard via State House News Service)
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HOLYOKE — Five more cities are being added to the list of communities where National Guard troops will be driving children to school in the face of a national bus driver shortage.

The state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security announced Friday that Holyoke, Brockton, Framingham, Quincy and Woburn will join Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell and Lynn as part of the guard’s transportation mission.

Gov. Charlie Baker activated 250 National Guard troops Monday to provide assistance to cities unable to field enough school bus drivers to transport their student population.

Acting public safety secretary Terrence Reidy said more than 190 guard troops have completed driver training and are now certified “7D,” for van-sized school buses. In addition, 40 troops will provide operational support for the mission.

The school bus driver shortage comes as schools are returning to full-time classroom education after more than a year of remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state National Guard command structure said Baker’s activation order will not affect the guard’s ability to respond to other emergencies in the state.

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